Loading apparatus with axle supported conveyors



NOV. 22, 1955 H, G w s 2,724,517

LOADING APPARATUS WITH AXLE SUPPORTED CONVEYQRS Filed April 27, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l Harold 6. Lewis INVENTOR.

BY WW 3M Nov. 22, 1955 I gw s 2,724,517

LOADING APPARATUS WITH AXLE SUPPORTED CONVEYORS Filed April 27, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 K )C )C Fig.2

Harold 6. Lewis IN VEN TOR.

BY min 1? Anamqs Fig. 3

1955 H. G. LEWIS 2,724,517

LOADING APPARATUS WITH AXLE SUPPORTED CONVEYORS Filed April 27, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Herald 6. Lewis INVENTOR.

United States Patent LOADING APPARATUS WITH SUPPORTED CONVEYORS Harold G. Lewis, Peytona, W. Va., assignor of fifty per cent to Earl M. Hall, Madison, W. Va.

Application April 27, 1953, Serial No. 351,213 1 Claim. (01. 214583.26)

This invention relates to new and useful improve ments in loading apparatus and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a loadingapparatus in cluding a triple conveyor unit that willuniformly load a trough to which the unit is attached.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a loading apparatus in which the conveyor unit is vertically swingably attached to a steering axle for movement into and out of operative position together with means for moving the conveyor unit into and out of operative position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a loading apparatus of the aforementioned character wherein the steering axle is horizontally swingably mounted at the front end of a wheeled trough and supports ground wheels to steer the trough and to provide means for horizontally swinging the axle to permit steering of the trough.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a loading apparatus including power driven digger chains that will engage material and direct the dug material onto the conveyor unit.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the ac companying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of Figure l and with the main and distributary conveyor belts removed;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of one of the digger chains; and,

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 55 of Fig ure 4.

Referring. now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred A rigid support 16 is fixed to and projects forwardly.

from the front end of the trough and includes a hori zontal plate portion 18 to which the central portion of a front axle 20 is vertically pivotally attached for horizontal swinging movement of axle 20. The ends of the axle 20 support front ground wheels 22 which coact with the wheels 14 in making the trough 10 mobile.

Fluid actuated cylinders 24 are horizontally swingably pivoted to the front end of trough 10 and slidably receive piston rods 26 that are pivoted to the ends of axle 20. Actuating buttons or valve operators 28 are mounted on trough 10 and are operatively connected to the cylinders 24 and to a source of fluid pressure, whereby fluid 2,724,517 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 2 under pressure may be admitted into a selected one of the cylinders for swinging the axle 20 in order to steer the trough 10.

An elongated open frame member 30 is'centrally pivotally attached to the front axle 20, as at 32, for vertical swinging movement. The front end of frame member 30 rotatably supports an idler roller 34 and the V-shaped rear end portion 36 of frame member 30 supports a drive roller 38 mounted on the intermediate section 40 of a three section shaft 42. The end sections 44 and 46 of shaft 42 are rotatably supported by the parallel inner and outer side rails 48 and 50 of member 30 and have powered rollers 52 and 54 keyed therein.

A motor 56 is mounted on frame member 30 and is operatively connected to one end of the shaft 42 for rotating the shaft 42. The ends of intermediate shaft section 40 are connected to the adjacent ends of the shaft sections 44 and 46 by universal couplings 58 and 60. 4

The front ends of the rails 48 and 50 rotatably support the carrying shafts of front idler rollers 58 and 60 which are disposed parallel to the rollers 52 and 54. Endless conveyor members 62 and 64 are engaged about the rollers 52, 58 and 54, 60 and comprise spaced belts or sprocket chains connected by transverse cleats.

The rollers 34 and 38 are engaged with a main conveyor member 66 including endless belts or sprocket chains that are connected by transverse cleats. The conveyor members 62 and 64 diverge rearwardly from the main conveyor member 66 and their front end portions are disposed between the upper and lower flights of member 66 wherein the rear end portions of the conveyor members 62 and 64 are spaced from the rear end of conveyor member 66.

Frame member 30 includes a pair of side portions 68 and 70 that rotatably support rear shafts 72 and 74 and forward shafts 76 and 78. Rear sprockets 80 and 82 are keyed on shafts 72 and 74, and forward sprockets 84 and 86 are keyed on shafts 76 and 78. Endless digger chains 88 and 90 are engaged about the sprockets 80, 84 and 82, 86 and carry digger teeth 92 and 94. The forward sprockets 84 and 86 overlie the forward end of main conveyor member 66 so that the diggers 92 and 94 may dig into and carry material onto the conveyor member 66. p

A power plant 96 mounted on frame member 30 is operatively connected to the shafts 76 and 78 for rotating the latter and the sprockets 84 and 86 in order to drive the digger chains 88 and 90.

Means is provided for swinging frame member 30 into and out of working position. This means comprises a fluid actuated cylinder 98 that is vertically pivotally attached to axle 20. The cylinder 98 slidably receives a piston rod 100 that is pivoted to frame member 30, as at 102. A button or valve lever 104 in the group of buttons 28 is operatively connected to cylinder 98 and a source of fluid pressure, whereby the rod 100 may be extended from cylinder 98 to raise frame member30 to a horizontal inoperative position.

Longitudinally spaced transverse rollers 106 are rotatably supported within the open bottom of the trough 10 and have an endless conveyor belt 108 trained thereover. A power plant 110 is supported on the trough 10 and is operatively connected to the forward roller of the rollers 106 to drive the latter for moving the conveyor belt 108.

The axle supporting wheels 14 are driven by a motor 112 mounted on the, trough 10 whereby the trough 10 may be moved to a desired location foruse. Trough 10 also supports a hydraulic pump 114 that is connected to a liquid tank 116 and the cylinders 24, 98 and the control valves 28, 104.

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One side of trough 10 is provided with an operators disk 118 on which the panel 120 carrying valves 28, 104 is disposed.

.Inpractical use of the present invention, the frame member is lowered to the position shown in Figure 2 so that the digger chains 88 and 90 may dig into and carry material, such as coal, onto the conveyor member 66. Some of the material on conveyor member 66 will be discharged onto the conveyor members 62 and 64 and delivered into the trough 10 and upon the conveyor belt 108.

After the material is piled upon the belt 108, the motor 110 is started to carry the material to the end of trough 10 remote from frame member 30. The trough 10 is provided with a drop gate 122 so that after the trough has been filled, it may be discharged.

'What is claimed as new is as follows:

Ina loading apparatus, an elongated trough having forward and rear ends, rear wheels supporting the rear end of the trough, an axle spaced forwardly of said forward end and'having steerable front ground wheels on the ends thereof, forwardly extending means fixed to the forward end of the trough and to which said front axle is pivoted for lateral swinging to steer the steerable wheels, power means attached to and extending forwardly of said forward end and operatively connected to said axle to swing the same,'a frame extending across said axle and over the forward end of the trough, means pivotally mounting said frame on said axle for vertical tilting and for swinging laterally by said axle, a main endless conveyor carried by said frame for discharging material into the trough, and having a receiving front end and upper and lower runs, and a pair of distributing conveyors diverging relatively in opposite relation from opposite sides of said frame and having front ends disposed between said runs of the main conveyor and rear ends disposed over said trough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,583,665 Cox May 4, 1926 1,693,014 Anderson Nov. 27, 1928 2,073,142 Cartlidge Mar. 9, 1937 2,188,790 Levin Ian. 30, 1940 2,215,702 Holm Sept. 24, 1940 2,282,704 Butters -May 12, 1942 2,381,892 Fees Aug. 14, 1945 2,599,838 Kandoll June 10, 1950 

